Is it fair to have school facilities divided in such a way?

[Elwyn]

Say there is an area dedicated to a particular sport and it is divided up into half that is used by a child who I presume presents with additional needs and their friend and the other half is used by the rest of the children who also want to do this sport (about 10 kids and it can get quite crowded). Does this happen in other schools? My child understands about the fact that children with additional needs will have extra provisions made available to them but he feels this is just creating resentment because it seems so imbalanced. I am wondering if there is anything else I can tell him that will help make sense of it.

Your DS can ask any of the children who are resenting this if they would be willing to have the additional needs, and everything that goes with it, for the rest of their lives, in return for having more space to play this sport at school.

Hard to know without more specifics. When my DD has mentioned spotting differences in the way other children are treated in school, I tend to just explain that we don’t have the information about how / why some provision is made for them. The teachers / staff have that information to make the decision and it’s not really any of our business. I use a similar tactic in work (school) and explain to the questioning child that I wouldn’t discuss their personal needs / circumstances with others, so they shouldn’t expect me to give them information about another student’s provision.

If it was balanced it may not facilitate any participation for the individual with additional needs.

I assume the arrangements are in place to provide equity. There are some great resources on equity v equality.

Many schools simply don't have the additional room to create an alternative space for a child with additional needs, without compromising on space elsewhere and for other children.

If it wasn't divided and said child was joining in the main space it may well work out much worse for that child and the other children.

It's simply a case of staff and school needing to do what they can to help all children at the school. It's always a balancing act of scares resources and scares space.

Sounds absolutely ridiculous. I can only speak for my kids school, but no, they don't reserve half a sport facility for one and crowd everybody else in the other half.

If they tried to make sure a child is excluded by the others, they would not go any other way. It's awful.

Yes, it happens frequently in lots of schools. Equity doesn’t always mean an equal division of resources. Some children need more, in this case more space, in order to be able to participate. Most children understand this if it’s explained to them.

My son has access to a low level climbing area and outdoor toys in the playground with two extra staff members supervising. This is funded by his an a group of others ehcps as are the extra playbased learning spaces the school have had to set up. He and the other children need that area without the group of children it would just be used as the rest of the playground, perviosuly it was out of bounds as the adventure playground that used to be there was unsafe and too expensive to repair. There is room for a cetain number of other children who use the area respectfully to use the area alongside them at the discression of the sendco, usually children who are friendly with the children who need it. The sendco, her team, myself and a mass of professionals fort for 3 years to get provision in place for him as will have happened for each of the other children who need that provision.

Can probably start by explaining that it isn't an ''extra'' provision but a reasonable adjustment made for a child who needs it.

This.

The school would not do this if the child didn't need them to or indeed, they had the provision for it.

Teach your child, and teach them quick (and yourself) that some people need lots of extra help and this doesn't give them ANY advantage over children who don't need this help. It merely makes them at a little less of a disadvantage.

Would you rather the child with additional needs was excluded from that activity? Because that's what would happen, essentially.

Inclusivity: Everyone is inclusive until it inconveniences them, costs them money or means they need to make any extra effort. Those pesky disabled kids taking up all the space!!! What a fucking cheek.

I absolutely despair, honestly!

Perhaps tell him how much more difficult life is for those with a disability, how it affects them all the time and how in comparison being a little cramped in a sports class is nothing. I’m presuming they don’t ‘present’ with additional needs but do in fact have a diagnosed disability.

it's awful to isolate some children and insist on showing their "difference" to the others. It's the best way to make sure they keep being excluded, then you have parents rightly upset because their child keep being excluded from friendship groups and parties.

Offering reasonable adjustments should be done in a much more inclusive way.

Does anyone ever bother to wonder if the child, or the 2 children, who are separated that way are happy about it?

Yes I'm sure people have 'wondered' that and come to the conclusion they are doing the best thing. Do you work with children with additional needs?

The use of the space ought to be alternated so everyone gets a chance to participate properly. It might mean everyone gets slightly fewer goes but that's ok.

Its not equity to take participation away from one group and give it to a smaller one. Reducing & overcrowding half the space is rendering it essentially not useable, it doesn't seem a fair solution to the larger group.

Would you have wanted my DC2 (who is legally blind) to be put in amongst their classmates during a physical activity that would endanger them if too many people were there, @Elwyn?
This kind of thread really pisses me off, to be blunt.
Whilst your child experiences the minor inconvenience due to being a bit crowded, the child with needs gets to actually be able to take part in some form, even if it is at a different level.
Go and have a word with yourself.

Yeah, this is a chance to teach your child about helping those who need it.

Sometimes taking a route which looks to be isolating is actually providing the young person with the best way to be able to access facilties and interact with peers safely.

*Whilst your child experiences the minor inconvenience due to being a bit crowded

Everyone's assuming it's "a bit crowded".

What if its two tennis courts, and to faciliate one child having a whole court to themself and a partner, you have to put 28 others on the other court? The 28 clearly wouldn't be able to meaningfully play. Would that be fair and inclusive?

Better to have rotations of who uses the space. Also less likely to breed resentment towards one child.

There are better and worse ways to share and be inclusive.

Poorly thought out inclusion = better than no inclusion

Well planned inclusion = better still.

Its ok for op to think this isn't the best way to do it.

@Yabbadabbadotime, these are the words that OP posted:
'about 10 kids and it can get quite crowded'
I'm didn't assume it, OP actually said it, if you care to RTFT - it's not good form to quote others out of context.
You are quoting 28 when OP posted 10 kids, to refer back to the original post.
Don't put words into my mouth.
'Its ok for op to think this isn't the best way to do it.'
That's your opinion and it carries very little weight given the views that have been expressed here, and those are not only mine.

Does anyone ever bother to wonder if the child, or the 2 children, who are separated that way are happy about it?

Yes, many people do consider this. It's very often part of someone's job to do just that.
It may seem isolating to an outsider but may be just what the child needs. Some children really don't feel that need of being with others - infact for some children it's quite the opposite.

It's literally impossible to know without knowing the child, what needs they have and the dimensions and situation of the premises.

YABU to think random strangers can advice on if this is a reasonable adjustment. YABU to think your child knows enough about another child's health needs to determine if it's fair allocation.

Whether an individual child being given half the sports area is the right approach, would depend entirely on the individual child, their limitations and the rest of the group involved. I assume that the teachers who are responsible for the education and well being of the children are better able to assess that, than a group of random strangers on t’internet.
For SOME children, a more inclusive approach will work, but not for all.

I think you're being ridiculous to feel so strongly about this.

The other dc will manage.

Maybe the child in question is not isolated but does not deal well in big groups and needs the space. I guess you know zero about SEN.

Having SEN is also not exactly 'fair, is it. The other kid sonly have to suck up having less space once a week or whatever.

Presumably there’s a reason the child has been given an area for play to themselves. It could be they get overwhelmed in busy spaces or could be they have behaviours which involve targeting other children etc. Unfortunately most mainstream schools aren’t well resourced when it comes to being able to set up the environment for students who can’t cope being in a busy classroom/ playground etc without repurposing existing facilities.